Month: August 2018

“Go from this community and begin to change this world.” Father Jonathan Dickson offered this inspirational advice at our first All-School Mass, reminding us that what students learn at Saint Joe’s is bigger than report cards or even college applications. As Catholics, we are called to use our knowledge and talents for the benefit of others and to improve our communities and our world.

Beginning this school year, students will celebrate Mass weekly on Thursdays.

“As a Catholic school, our faith is our unique and defining characteristic,” said Head of School Jennifer Mallett. “Celebrating Mass not only celebrates our uniqueness as a Catholic school, it also gives students and faculty an opportunity to make personal reflections and deepen their own faith. I’m excited to make this change.”

Parents and families are welcome to join us for All-School Mass every Thursday at 9a.m. in the Student Life Center.

We are getting into the first competitions of the fall for most of our programs. Please be sure to try and get out to a few events and support each other. All of our athletes work hard at their craft, and it is rewarding to see the culmination of that work in action! Keep reading for some updates about our athletic department.

BACK THE PACK

If you haven’t gotten a chance to do so, please consider joining Back the Pack and sponsoring our athletic programs. The Back the Pack program is the boosters’ biggest fundraiser of the year, and it is vital in funding our athletic programs. There are many levels of support, and we hope that all of Wolf Nation can find a level at which they are comfortable. Click here for details.

HOME COMPETITION SUPPORT

We ask all members of our school community to find time to volunteer at home athletic events. Theresa Thornburg has created this year’s sign-up list to help with gate and/or concessions. Please take a look at the list and sign up for some dates that work for your family. Click here to sign-up.

STUDENT HELP NEEDED

Many of our teams are in need of scorekeepers, managers and other support. The Athletic Department will sign-off on service and/or physical education hours for students who are dependable and committed to helping athletic programs during their season. Email Mr. Walsh, if you are interested!

The State College Knights of Columbus needs our help. Each home Penn State Football game features two concession stands staffed by the Knights, which is their biggest fundraiser. They are looking for volunteers to help staff these stands. No experience is needed, and volunteers must be 16 or older. This is a great way to earn some community service hours and help an organization that continues to support our school! Please email Miss Mallett if you are interested in helping. URGENT HELP IS NEEDED FOR SEPTEMBER 1!

With a new year underway, Saint Joe’s is ramping up its online presence to reach parents and families along with prospective students. News, photos, updates and more are now shared on multiple social media platforms, along with this weekly newsletter. Here’s where you can follow along.

Follow Saint Joe’s on these social media platforms at the following handles:

Four Pillars Serve as Lifelong Foundation: The Mangene Family Feels Blessed to be Part of the Saint Joe’s Community

When exploring high school options, Jack and Maggie Mangene saw a unique opportunity at Saint Joe’s to get a personalized education and grow their faith. Fortunately, both have received financial aid, which helped make their education at Saint Joe’s possible.

Jack and Maggie’s parents, Scott and Dani, are grateful for the opportunities that Saint Joe’s affords, such as smaller class sizes, service opportunities, and faith development. The added value makes every dollar they’re spending on Saint Joe’s worth it.

“People are willing to pay for things that are important to them,” Dani says. “My children value the resources that our family devotes to their education. They are hard-working and appreciate all that Saint Joe’s can offer them.”

The education Jack and Maggie are receiving is a natural extension of their faith-based upbringing and has helped them build a strong foundation for life after high school.

“Our family believes that faith is the cornerstone of a healthy life,” Dani says, noting that Saint Joseph’s allows any child to attend, regardless of their faith, while still promoting a healthy Catholic faith.

The four pillars (faith, scholarship, leadership, and service) have also been critical to Jack and Maggie’s development.

“I believe that the four pillars, which are introduced to students on day one, will help my children to succeed in life,” Dani says. “The pillars have taught my children to learn from failure and treat it as an opportunity for growth.”

Dani isn’t shy when it comes to sharing her appreciation of Saint Joe’s and is quick to recommend it to other families.

She encourages parents to take a tour, ask lots of questions, and, most importantly, to let their child(ren) chose which school is best for them.

“Our family is so pleased with Saint Joe’s,” she says. “I can’t say enough about how this school has blessed us.”

Q&A with Jack and Maggie Mangene

Q: What is your favorite thing about attending Saint Joe’s?

Maggie: I can play multiple sports and receive an education designed for me.Jack: How friendly and open the teachers are.

Q: What does receiving a Catholic education mean to you?

Maggie: The theology teachers are very open to any questions.

Jack: The opportunity to speak freely about my faith.

Q: What activities do you participate in?

Maggie: volleyball, basketball, a cappella, musical, and service club

Jack: baseball, basketball, golf, a cappella, musical, and music club

Q: What are your future aspirations?

Maggie: I would like to attend trade school. I also hope to play softball in college, and, as of right now, I would like to stay in the State College area long term.

Jack: I’d like to attend a four-year university to earn a degree in physical therapy and play golf while there.

Saint Joe’s is excited to announce that we will be welcoming seven new faculty members for the 2018-2019 school year! We are blessed to have faculty, staff and administrators that strive every day to fufill our mission of forming the next generation of leaders through service to God and our four pillars of faith, scholarship, leadership. Please join us in welcoming our new faculty members:

The fall sports season is finally upon us! Our student athletes are ready to return to school and represent Saint Joe’s with pride both on and off the field.

Our sports program has become a platform on which students can display their talents, become leaders and learn lessons that will help them in every aspect of their lives. This fall, we plan to build on the successes of conference, district and state titles in order to give our student athletes an opportunity to share their gift with the community through competition. We have a very exciting season ahead of us, including:

Cross Country

Our runners are coming off of a strong 2017 campaign, with the second straight district championship for the girls, a second place finish at the PIAA meet and the program’s highest individual showing at states from sophomore Carter Kauffman on the boys’ side. This year, the Wolves return a strong side on the girls’ team, including the past two individual District VI champions, seniors Sera Mazza and Julia Cusatis . The boys return a strong side, behind Kauffman, and add a talented freshman group, highlighted by Josh Hershbine. Mark your calendar for October 11th, when the Wolves host four teams in a home race at Oak Hall Park at 4:30pm.

Golf

Our golfers took the state by storm last year, finishing with the program’s first district title and a third place finish at states. This seasons, the Wolves return the top four golfers in seniors Jack Mangene, Matt Steyers, Ryan Peachey and RJ Marsh to make another run at the state title. The golf team will play home matches at Mountain View Country Club, with the match to circle taking place on September 24th against Altoona.

Girls Volleyball

The Wolves had an up-and-down season in 2017, but missed the District VI playoffs. Coach Donaghy will look to lead this year’s team to the program’s second District appearance. In order to do so, she will have to lean on the leadership of three-year letterwinner, Anna Griggs. Griggs has played every minute of every competition over the past two seasons. The team has enjoyed high numbers at voluntary open gyms this summer, including many new faces. Donaghy and her staff will hope to bring the team together quickly to make a run for Districts in 2018. Mark your calendar for our home opener on September 10th vs. Mo-Valley and our annual Pink Out game on October 3rd vs. Juniata Valley.

Soccer

The Athletic Department is excited to bring soccer home to Saint Joe’s, after having our student-athletes competing at Grace Prep over the past three seasons. This year, we will field separate boys and girls programs, headed by Rob Venema and LeAnne Graham, respectively. The teams will have a modified schedule for the first season, as the coaching staffs look to lay the groundwork for two solid programs to add to Saint Joe’s Athletic line-up. Join us in cheering on the girls’ team for our September 27th game vs. Bishop Carroll and the boys’ team for our October 16th game vs. Belleville Mennonite School.

All-in-all, it should be an amazing fall sports season. Other important dates are below. We hope to see our entire Saint Joe’s community cheering on our student athletes at this year’s events!

Fall Team Mass – Sunday, September 9th at 9:30am (OLV)

Homecoming Bonfire- Friday, October 12th at 6pm (TBA)

If you’re interested in supporting Saint Joe’s student athletes, please consider making a gift to Back the Pack, an initiative of the Parent Athletic Committee, which gives individuals, families and local businesses the opportunity to support Saint Joe’s student-athletes. Your generosity will help offset transportation fees, athlete and team recognition, and other expenses as our teams advance in competition throughout the year. Please see our website for details: https://stjoeacad.org/back-the-pack/

Saint Joe’s is excited to have Jennifer Mallett officially on board as Head of School. Jennifer’s education, background and extensive experience in Catholic education will help propel Saint Joe’s into a bright future. She is eager to play an active role in working with our community to support continued growth and enrollment, and has been hard at work getting ready to begin a new school year.

More about Jennifer Mallett:

Jennifer was Principal at Bishop Rosecrans High School in Zanesville, Ohio for nearly eight years before coming to Saint Joe’s. She has also served in numerous volunteer roles for the Diocese of Columbus and the Ohio Catholic Schools Accrediting Association. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Ashland University and a master’s degree in education and allied professions from the University of Dayton. She also holds certificates in innovative leadership, enrollment management and marketing from Catholic School Management.

Q: Who are your greatest influences?

“My daughter, my mother, my grandmother and my aunt are the biggest influences in my life. I’m so lucky to have strong and inspiring women in my life; I’ve learned so much from them.”

Q: Why do Catholic schools matter?

“Catholic education is so valuable to today’s students. It teaches the importance of civic engagement, discipline and service to the common good. It also allows students to develop a stronger relationship with God, grow in their faith and gain a personal view of scripture.”

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

”Someone once told me to always ask myself one question—when working on curriculum, programs, discipline and all school matters—is it best for the kids?”

Q: What do you do for fun?

“I love to paint, take photos, read, travel, watch movies, go to the theatre and spend time with my family and friends.”

Q:Do you have a favorite quote or verse that you can share?

“God is good… all the time! God is faithful… all the time! God is merciful… all the time! God is loving… all the time!”

Sara and James McCarthy knew the moment they began their tour of Saint Joe’s that it was the right school for their daughter, Catherine, even though it would require a daily commute of one hour to and from school. Their instincts told them at Saint Joe’s, Catherine could grow, learn to lead, and further develop her faith and compassion for others. Her experience has proven that their instincts were right.

Sara says paying tuition was a factor when they weighed their decision, but the family believed it was worth the investment. Now, it’s paying off. Having faith as a daily reminder of what matters most in life has made a tremendous difference in Catherine’s personal development.

“Catherine has grown into a strong, intelligent, vibrant, and confident young woman,” according to Sara. “She understands the value of being a part of a vision, not just part of a school. She takes her education very seriously, but Saint Joseph’s has also instilled her with a sense of responsibility, commitment, leadership and compassion for others. I do not believe she would have achieved this elsewhere. This is the true value of a Catholic education.”

Though Catherine’s personal growth and path to the future are her family’s top priorities, together they also recognize that they are part of something much bigger: helping to keep a Catholic education option available in Centre County.

“It is an investment in the future, not only for our child, but also for the opportunity for the school to thrive,” she says. “Saint Joseph’s is not just a Catholic high school. We consider it an extension of our family, our values, our faith, and our commitment to quality education.”

Sara hopes that other families looking for a high-quality, faith-based education take the time to visit Saint Joe’s and experience it for themselves.

“As soon as you walk through the front doors you will understand that the four pillars — Faith, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service — are in motion on a daily basis,” she says. “They are not just words, they are actions. Saint Joe’s is unique in size — ‘small but mighty’ is my description — with a staff of caring, talented faculty and administrators; they have created an environment that nurtures success and encourages students to break out of their comfort zones.”

Q&A with Catherine McCarthy

Q: What do you like most about attending Saint Joe’s?

A: My favorite thing about Saint Joe’s has been the learning experience. The teachers are willing to dedicate their time to each of their students, and I never feel afraid to ask a question or answer a question in class. The classroom atmosphere is accepting. I also enjoy the course selection because I am able to push myself academically with rigorous courses.

Q: What does getting a Catholic education mean to you?

A: Receiving a Catholic education is incredibly important to me. I was raised Catholic and taught that religion should be at the center of my life. It is amazing that I can go to school and openly share my religion with the people around me.

Q: What activities do you participate in?

A: I am a part of the volleyball team, student council, National Honors Society, Spanish National Honor Society, student ambassador club, prom committee and have chaired the volleyball Pink Out fundraiser for several years.

Q: What are your future aspirations?

A: My future aspirations include furthering my education. I plan on going to college to earn a Bachelor of Science in nursing. I eventually want to be a nurse anesthetist.

Q: What advice do you have for future Saint Joe’s students?

A: As a student who came to Saint Joe’s without knowing anyone, I would tell future students not to be afraid of introducing yourself to new people and to definitely try new things. It may seem scary at first, students at Saint Joe’s love to welcome new students. Saint Joe’s is full of wonderful opportunities that will help you grow as a person and broaden your horizons.